Cardboard Command Ep. 1 Pilot | MTG Commander

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Focuses on applying -1/-1 counters to creatures to generate snake tokens and control the board through poison synergy and attrition.
Sliver Overlord
Builds a powerful Sliver tribal board by tutoring and deploying various Slivers, using tribal synergy to overwhelm opponents and control the battlefield.
Kaalia of the Vast
Aggressively attacks with Angels, Demons, and Dragons cast for free, applying pressure with high-impact flying threats.
Anje Falkenrath
Utilizes madness mechanics to discard and recur cards, generating continuous value and applying pressure through tempo plays and targeted disruption.

Gameplay Insights

1
Hapatra effectively used her ability to place -1/-1 counters on creatures to create snake tokens, enabling sustained board presence.
2
Sliver Overlord’s board wipe that destroyed all non-Sliver creatures dramatically reset the board, showcasing the power of tribal synergy to both protect and punish.
3
Kaalia leveraged her commander’s ability to cheat large flying creatures into play, applying constant aerial pressure and forcing opponents to prioritize defense.
4
Anje maximized madness interactions by discarding and recasting cards, maintaining card advantage and applying pressure even after board wipes.
5
Players carefully managed life totals against Kaalia’s aggressive attacks and the threatening presence of Slivers, balancing offense and defense strategically.
6
The interaction between Sliver tribal synergies and poison counter mechanics created complex board states requiring precise timing and resource management.

Notable Cards

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Sliver Overlord
Kaalia of the Vast
Anje Falkenrath
Talisman of Indulgence
Channeler Initiate
Vault of the Archangel
Bloodgift Demon
Necroskitter
Cloudshredder Sliver

Gameplay Summary

The game started with each player developing their board state cautiously, with early plays focusing on ramping mana and setting up key pieces.

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons quickly established a board presence by putting -1/-1 counters on creatures and generating snake tokens, leveraging her poison-themed synergy early on.

Sliver Overlord ramped into a strong tribal presence, searching for and deploying various Slivers to dominate the board.

Kaalia of the Vast and Anje Falkenrath built up their aggressive strategies, with Kaalia summoning powerful attacking angels and demons and Anje utilizing madness to generate value and pressure opponents. Key turning points included Sliver Overlord using a board wipe effect to destroy all non-Sliver creatures, significantly shifting the board state and forcing players to rebuild.

Hapatra's ability to continually produce snakes and manipulate counters kept her relevant throughout, while Kaalia’s aggressive flying threats pressured opponents’ life totals.

Anje's repeated use of madness cards to recur threats and disrupt opponents provided a steady stream of threats and card advantage.

The interactions around Slivers and poison counters, combined with Kaalia’s potent attackers and Anje’s disruption, created a dynamic and tense midgame.

The game’s outcome hinged on managing these threats and leveraging each commander’s unique strengths to outlast and outmaneuver the others.

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